be published in September 2015 and it challenges the prevailing view that depression is a biological disease.

Iggy McGovernIggy McGovern’s life has been a heady mix of religion, science and poetry. The Trinity College lecturer grew up in Coleraine and, as well

as studying physics at Queens University, spent two years as a student seminarian. In 1990 he began writing poetry and in 1996 he won the Hennessy Award For Poetry. He has published two collections of poetry with Dedalus Press, The King of Suburbia (2005) and Safe House (2010). His most recent book, A Mystic Dream of 4 is a sonnet sequence based on the life of the poet and mathematician William Rowan Hamilton, was published by Quaternia Press (2013).

Athlone’s The Driftwood ManorThe Driftwood Manor mix Irish traditional music and folk with a range of other influences, from Eastern music to

alternative rock and electronica. The band has released three albums and six EP’s and were voted in The Irish Times’ Breakthrough Acts of the Year for 2011. Their latest album, 2014’s “Of the Storm”, released on English label, Stone Tape Recordings, has enjoyed exceptional reviews and airplay on BBC Radio 3 among many others. The album was also voted as one of Folk Radio UK’s Albums of the Year for 2014. “The Driftwood

Manor have made what is highly likely to be the finest record to find its way out of the thickets of Irish folk this year.” Entertainment.ie

Rivers and CrowsRivers and Crows are an alternative folk collective hailing from the wild west of Galway. Rich harmonies, beautifully arranged

strings, haunting melodies all combine to make their original earthy acoustic sound, with stories that captivate the audience and linger in their imagination. “Emma Lohan and Stephanie Swanton’s sounds comes with beautifully ghostly swirls and elegant, sweet harmonies underneath the bonnet.” The Irish Times, February 2014.

Finyl Fridays Presents Farside FunkThe wonderful people behind Finyl Fridays are responsible for a monthly funk, soul and

house music night on the last Friday of every month in Maguire’s of Connaught Street. For one night only, they are doing a Saturday night gig in Athlone Music Co-Op.

Donal O’BrienDonal O’Brien is a well-known local historian who has an encyclopaedic knowledge of Athlone and its history and

traditions. For the Farside Festival, he will

take you on a tour of some well-known sites in town such as the old workhouse and on to lesser-known places on Connaught Street and beyond, pointing out historic incidents and personalities along the way. Donal is the author of “The Houses and Landed Families of Westmeath”.

Gillian O’BrienGillian O’Brien is a history lecturer in John Moore’s University Liverpool. She is the author of “Blood Runs

Green: The Murder That Transfixed Gilded Age Chicago” (University of Chicago Press, 2015) which received rave reviews in the Irish Times and in a variety of US media outlets. She is the co-author and co-editor of a number of other history publications in Ireland. She is interested in sensational crime, history of newspapers and journalism, urban history - particularly Chicago, Dublin, London and Liverpool, real and imagined history and cultural heritage

Seamus DooleySeamus Dooley is General Secretary of the National Union of Journalists in Ireland. Prior to his

appointment as a full-time official he served as a sub editor with the Irish Independent. He began his journalistic career with the Tullamore Tribune and is former editor of the Roscommon Champion. The NUJ represents more than 90pc of full-time journalists in

Ireland. He is a strong advocate of the view that journalists play an enormous role in democracy.

Rob QuinnSuccessful Artist Rob Quinn produces fine art drawings, oil paintings and water colours. He specializes in still life

pieces and panoramic landscapes. His work is described as ranging from photo realistic to a more quirky caricature style. Rob has previously tutored budding artists of all ages and abilities with his unique approach.

The Faside Festival Club at Flannery’sEvery festival needs a place to call home, a place to return to for get-togethers and

sustenance and we are delighted that our Festival Club will be at Flannery’s Bar, an iconic bar in the centre of town which is well-known for its music and for the amazing service and good humour provided by Ann Flannery and Molly, the dog. There will be regular music sessions at Flannery’s over the course of the Festival weekend.

The Farside FestivalSeptember 18th - 20th 2015

www.thefarsidefestival.com

Photographs courtsey of Mark Duffy, Liam Kidney & Declan Q. Kelly

Further InformationFor more information, please contactThe Farside Festival, c/o 189 River Village, Monksland, Athlone, Co. Roscommon.Email: tfsfest@gmail.com All bookings and Friends of the Festival queries to tfsfest@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/farsidefestival www.twitter.com/farfestival Hashtag #farsidefestival

Become a Friend of the FestivalWe are offering a Friend of the Festival scheme for our first year and for an annual subscription of €50, you will receive one free weekend ticket which gives you free access to all festival events on the weekend. We will also list your name on the website and invite you to a special Friends

event later in the year, where you’ll have the opportunity to give your views on what you’d like to see in 2016’s festival.

Venues:1. Ritz Gastro Pub, Custume Place. 2. Shambles Art Studios, The Shambles. 3. Burgess Dept. Store, Church St.4. Athlone Music Co-Op, Diskin Centre, Grace Road. 5. Making Space Studio, Custume Place. 6. Flannery’s Bar, Sean Costello St. 7. Abbey Road Studios, Abbey Rd. 8. New Venue, Bastion St. 9. Sheraton Hotel, Gleeson St.10. Methodist Church, Northgate St. 11. Radisson Hotel, Northgate St. 12. Athlone Library, Church St.

Tel: +353 (0)90 644 4444Email: ccarrig@athlonespringshotel.com

www.athlonespringshotel.com

MonkslandAthloneCo. Roscommon

Conor CarrigConference & Banqueting Manager

House of Hen

Athlone Castle

St. Peter Pauls Church

Luan Art Gallery

MethodistChurch

Library & Civic Offices

Town Centre Shopping Centre St. Mary’s

Church

Franciscian Friary Church

Rail & Bus Station

Connaught St.

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t.

Bastion St.

Custume Place Church St.

Sean Costello St.

Grace Road

Northgate St.

13

4

5

6

7

8

910

11

12

Gleeson St.

Diskin Centre

Dean Crowe Theatre

2

Shambles Art Studio

Trinity College Dublin and Director of the Literatures of the Americas programme in Trinity. He has served on the editorial board of Metre magazine and as a member of the Board of Ireland Literature Exchange and in 2014 he was elected a Fellow of the Irish Centre for Poetry Studies.

Doug RossBorn in New York in 1954 and living in Ireland since 1966. Doug has been making art full time since 1984

in both two and three dimensions. He has exhibited in the Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin Castle, Fotobild Berlin, Florence Biennale and the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art 2008 among others. His work is in the permanent collections of the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, the Totm’a Museum in Russia, Irish Permanent and the Greek Embassy, Dublin.

Bianca FachelSinger-songwriter, Bianca Fachel was born in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul – Brazil. She began her career

at age five, playing piano and years later began playing guitar and finally clarinet. Her music includes loads of soul and jazz, with Brazilian and Irish influences throughout. She is now living in Glasson, just outside Athlone.

Breda LarkinBreda Larkin is an up and coming comedian from Ballinasloe. She has recently embarked on a comprehensive

tour of the small towns of Ireland with her one-woman show “The Word Of Breda”. The show includes a humorous journey through Breda’s experience of growing up in the country, figuring out her sexuality and finding her place in the world and recently featured on RTE.

Noel MonahanNoel Monahan has won numerous national and international awards for his poetry and

writing. He has six collections of poetry, all published by Salmon including his most recent collection “Where The Wind Sleeps”. He holds an M.A. in Creative Writing and is also an accomplished creative writing facilitator. Maureen Gallagher writing about his work in Poetry Ireland Review said that “Monahan’s voice is shimmering with light, at his best when writing about life in the country.”

Dr Terry LynchTerry Lynch is a medical doctor and psychotherapist. He is the author of

best-selling “Beyond Prozac”, which was shortlisted for the 2002 Mind Book of the year Award. His second book “Selfhood “was published in 2011. His new book “Exploring The Depression Delusion” will

Sunday September 20th

11am • Abbey Road Artist Studios, Northgate Street, Athlone. Walking Tour of Athlone with a focus on Farside Festival venues with Donal O’Brien. Meet outside the Abbey Road Artist Studios. - €5

12.00pm-3pm • Abbey Road Artist Studios, Northgate Street, Athlone. Response Room facilitated by Clodagh Kelly, Artist in Residence, Abbey Road Studios. An opportunity for festival-goers to respond creatively, in a hands-on way, to the workhouse space and the suggestive installations.

3.00pm • Radisson Hotel, Northgate Street, Athlone. “Blood Runs Green, The Murder That Transfixed Gilded-Age Chicago”, reading and discussion with historian Gillian O’Brien of the University of Liverpool with Seamus Dooley, Secretary General of the National Union of Journalists at the Radisson, Athlone. - €5

PARTICIPANTS .....

Lesley Wingfield Lesley Wingfield is a talented artist who has won many awards, bursaries, commissions and

critical acclaim for her many different portrayals of faces. In a review by Aidan Dunne in the “The Irish Times” in July 2007, Lesley’s work was described as “highly accomplished”. She has been influenced over the years by such artists as Lucian Freud and Van Rijn Rembrandt.

Paula MeehanPaula Meehan was born in 1955 and raised in two famous working-class districts of Dublin, before

graduating from Trinity College and Eastern Washington University. She has written plays for children and adults and has conducted writing workshops with inner city communities and in prisons as well as universities. She is a member of Aosdána, an Irish association of artists, and lives in Dublin. She is presently the Ireland Chair of Poetry and her work has attracted a wide following from non-poetry specialist readers. Her poems are sensual, both in her handling of ideas and in her handling of the words which convey those ideas.

Phillip ColemanPhillip Coleman is a lecturer in English Studies (Literature of the Americas) at

The Farside Festival is Athlone’s festival of creativity which takes place September 18th to 20th. The Farside Festival is a Mindfest that wants to feed your mind with everything from poetry to photography, art to dance, history to psychology, and

comedy to writing. It’s the first time we’ve tried this in Athlone, bringing together so many different creative people under one simple call to action, come to the Farside !

ART EXHIBITIONSThere are three art exhibitions running throughout the festival. Paintings by Lesley Wingfield, digital art by Doug Ross and a fringe art exhibition in the Shambles Art Studios by Ann McGuinness, Margo McNulty, Veronica Nicholson, Lawrence O’Neill, Catherine Rock and Lesley Wingfield.

LAUNCHES & TALKS

Saturday September 12th 10.30am to 1pm: • Aidan Heavey, Library, Athlone Civic Centre, Athlone. Launch of Doug Ross’ Exhibition and a public talk on the art of photography and the body. Exhibition running daily from September 12th to 19th during library opening hours.

Tuesday September 15th 7.30pm to 9pm: • The Ritz Gastropub & Cafe, Custume Place, AthloneLaunch of Lesley Wingfield’s Art Exhibition. Running Tuesday September 15th to Sunday September 20th, from 12 noon to 5pm each day.

Friday September 18th 5.00pm to 7.00pm: • Shambles Art Studios, Áras Bríd, The Shambles, AthloneShambles Art Studios Exhibition Opening with music by Zilvinas Gorodeckas. The Fringe Art Exhibition will be open on Saturday September 19th and Sunday September 20th from from 2pm to 5pm, both days.

FESTIVAL PROGRAMME

Please note all Friday night events are free as it’s Culture Night.

Friday September 18th

5.00pm • Shambles Art Studios, Áras Bríd, The Shambles, Athlone. Exhibition Opening at Shambles Art Studios, with music by Zilvinas Gorodeckas.

6.00pm • Burgess Window, Church Street, Athlone. Unveiling of Athlone grid drawing by Lesley Wingfield and students at Burgess.

7.30pm • Athlone Music Co-Op, Diskin Centre, Grace Road, Athlone. Official Festival Opening. Reading by Ireland Chair of Poetry Paula Meehan. Discussion afterwards facilitated by Phillip Coleman of TCD. This will be followed by Spanish guitar music and traditional Irish music with Bianca Fachel and friends.

10.00pm • Making Space Studio, Custume Place, Athlone. The Word of Breda with comedian Breda Larkin.

11.00pm • Flannery’s Bar, Sean Costello Street, Athlone.Friday Night Blues with Eamon Hatton, Gerry Flynn and Martin O’Hara at Flannery’s Bar, the Farside Festival Club.

Saturday September 19th

10am to 1pm • Aidan Heavey Library, Athlone Civic Centre, Athlone. Poetry Writing Workshop with award-winning poet Noel Monahan. Places must be booked in advance and all participants must bring 12 copies of one of their own poems for the group workshop. - €5

2.00pm• New Venue, Bastion Street, Athlone. Athlone Scapes; an opportunity for beginners and those with some experience to try new drawing and oil painting techniques with artist Rob Quinn. Materials will be provided. - €5

3.00pm• Sheraton Hotel, Gleeson Street, Athlone. Farside Festival Showcase Event - Psychology, Music & Poetry. Dr Terry Lynch in discussion about his new book “Exploring The Depression Delusion”. Spanish Guitar music followed by a reading and discussion with poet and physicist Iggy McGovern. - €10

8.00pm • The Methodist Church, Northgate Street, Athlone. Live music with The Driftwood Manor and Rivers and Crows - €10 or €8 low income/unwaged.

10.30pm • Athlone Music Co-Op, Diskin Centre, Grace Road, Athlone. Finyl Fridays presents Farside Funk. - €10 or €8 low income/unwaged.Over 21’s onlyPlease note there is a combined price for the music event in the Methodist Church and the Dance Club in the Athlone Music Co-op of €15. BYOB